A comprehensive guide to free and paid services for your mental health.

The Sanctus Directory of Mental Health Services and Professionals
is a resource curated by us to help you find the help, support, organisation or practitioner you need for your mental health.

We know how hard it can be to access support and to afford it. So we’ve made a considered effort to curate affordable and accessible support. Woes about your financial health, are the last thing you need when you’re looking to support your mental health.

Contents:
Phone Services
Low Cost & Free Services
Addiction Services
How To Support Others
How To Find A Therapist / Counsellor
Qualified Therapist / Counsellors
Definitions

Phone Services

These lines allow you to speak freely to someone over the phone to help you deal with your current situation. They are all confidential, anonymous and free of charge.

Samaritans
Telephone: 116 123 (24 hours a day, free to call)
Email: jo@samaritans.org
Provides confidential, non-judgemental emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those that could lead to suicide. You can phone, email, write a letter or in most cases talk to someone face to face.

CALM
Telephone London: 0808 802 58 58 (open 7 days a week, 5pm to midnight)
Telephone Nationwide: 0800 58 58 58 (open 7 days a week, 5pm to midnight)
Webchat (open 7 days a week, 5pm to midnight)

Mind Infoline
Telephone: 0300 123 3393 (9am-6pm Monday to Friday)
Email: info@mind.org.uk
Mind provides confidential mental health information services.
With support and understanding, Mind enables people to make informed choices. The Infoline gives information on types of mental distress, where to get help, drug treatments, alternative therapies and advocacy. Mind has around 140 local Minds providing local mental health services.

Rethink Mental Illness Advice Line
Telephone: 0300 5000 927 (9.30am — 4pm Monday to Friday)
Email: info@rethink.org
Provides expert advice and information to people with mental health problems and those who care for them, as well as giving help to health professionals, employers and staff. Rethink also runs Rethink services and groups across England and Northern Ireland.

Saneline
Telephone: 0300 304 7000 (4:30pm-10:30pm)
Saneline is a national mental health helpline providing information and support to people with mental health problems and those who support them.

Papyrus
Telephone: 0800 068 41 41 ( Mon-Fri: 10am-10pm, weekends: 2pm-10pm)
Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
Provides resources to help young people who are having suicidal thoughts.

Low Cost & Free Services

If you are looking for more support and would like to speak to a therapist, counsellor or practitioner, then the below provide low-cost alternatives to seeking private therapy and counselling directly.

If you are unsure of exactly what type of support you need or what practitioner you’d like to build a relationship with, then we’d recommend you jump to Section 8; “Definitions” to better understand the various types of support and practitioners out there. To find other counsellors / psychotherapists, please see section 6.

Psychotherapy Network
An extensive list of organisations offering low cost therapy and counselling in London and across the UK.

7 Cups
An online text based therapy with therapists, counsellors and listeners.

Help Counselling
Low cost counselling in West london

Have I Got A Problem?
A free online resource to help you diagnose and understand any issues or concerns you may have about mental health or addiction issues.

FreshStart Psychotherapy
Low cost or subsidised psychotherapy in West London.

Specialist & Free Services

If you are looking for support around what you believe is a niche or specialised challenge particular to you, then some of the below specialist services may resonate based on what you’re going through.

Adult Social Services
London based social care services to reduce risk with adults.

Children Social Services
London based social care services to reduce risk with children.

Compass Wellbeing Service
Free talking therapies service for Tower Hamlets residents.

Solace Women’s Aid
Counselling and group work to help women recover from
traumatic abuse.

Chinese Mental Health Association
Support services and counselling for mental health problems,
gambling addiction and depression within the Chinese community.

Relate
UK’s largest provider of relationship support resources. Available on telephone, webcam, live chat, email and in-centre support
across the UK.

Woman’s Trust
Free counselling, groups and workshops for women with experience
of domestic abuse across London.

1 in 4
London based counselling services available for survivors of child sexual abuse.

Black, African & Asian Therapy Network
Nationwide services for a variety of mental health related issues.

Maytree
A free sanctuary offering four nights of support for the suicidal.

Inspired Minds
Mental Health support working within the Muslim faith community.

MalePsychology
Network, conferences and events around men and boys wellbeing and mental health.

Weight Matters
Therapy and counselling services near Bank and Old Street around weight, food, eating and health issues.

Sleep Counselling
Psychotherapy and coaching specifically around anyone experiencing problems with sleep.

LondonFriends
LGBT health and wellbeing.

Terrance Higgins Trust
Counselling and support to those affected and living with HIV.

No Panic
Recovery support for anxiety, panic attacks and OCD

Addiction Services

If you are looking for support specifically around addiction, then some of these organisations might be right for you.

Rehab-online
Directory of residential rehabilitation services for adult drug and/or alcohol misusers in England and Wales.

ADDaction
UK’s leading charity for drug, alcohol and mental health addictions.

Alcoholics Anonymous
For those interested in learning more about alcoholism and finding twelve-step AA meetings in your area.

Narcotics Anonymous
For recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.

Gamblers Anonymous
A twelve-step program for people who have a gambling problem. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling.

Sex Addicts Anonymous
SAA is a twelve-step program for the purpose of finding freedom from addictive sexual behaviour and helping others recover from sex addiction.

Turning Point
National Charity Offering Support for Mental Health and Substance Addiction.

NHS Alcohol Support
Extensive resources on alcohol recovery and supporting alcoholics.

NHS Smoking Services
Find local services who can help you stop smoking.

Brief Interventions Team @ Reset Drug and Alcohol Service
For high functioning adults with low to medium drug or alcohol use.

Westminster Drug Project
A national charity that supports adults with drug and alcohol addiction.

How To Support Others

In our lifetime, it is very likely that a friend, colleague, family member or someone we know will be struggling with their mental health and we may want to help support them. Below is a list of resources to help you have those conversations if you feel you need to. We do also have our own resource on this.

MIND
Extensive list on supporting different mental health conditions.

Time to Change
Questionnaire for directed action on how to support others.

Mental Health Foundation
A good list on what to look out for and how to help someone in need of mental health support.

NHS Mood self-assessment quiz
Assess if someone is anxious or depressed and links to useful advice on mental wellbeing.

How To Find A Counsellor & Therapist

Finding the right mental health professional for you privately can be difficult and it can feel a bit like the wild west. Before you begin reaching out, we recommend you skim down to our ‘Definitions’ section. Remember, shop around to see who you feel you have the best connection with, it’s an important decision and intimate relationship which can have a huge impact when you get it right.

BACP
A professional body where you can find qualified counsellors / psychotherapists.

UCKP
A professional body where you can find qualified counsellors / psychotherapists.

Counselling Directory
Qualified counsellor / psychotherapist search engine.

NCS
Qualified counsellor search.

Welldoing
A detailed search for specific therapies and counselling support.

Ongea
Counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists based in Old Street and Pimlico offering individual, couples, family and child services.

StillPoint Space
Coworking spaces for therapists, they also host group and individual therapy sessions.

School Of Life Therapy
Psychotherapy, career counselling, couples therapy, group therapy in Central West London.

HQ Therapy
Counsellors and Psychotherapists under one roof in Dalston. Offering a variety of specialisms.

BetterHelp
Access to counsellors and therapists online.

NHS
A starting guide for mental health support in Britain.

iCope Psychological Therapies
Service Based in Camden, Islington and Kingston. Offering up to six CBT based 1:1 sessions and up to 12 sessions with a clinical psychologist.

Qualified Therapist and Counsellors

Go have a look at our ‘Definitions’ get to know what they are, and know what you’re looking for, then below is Sanctus’ trusted list of therapists and counsellors. Everyone on this list comes recommended from a Sanctus Coach and is in some way within our community and network. It’s important to note that the practitioners below are not officially affiliated with Sanctus and whilst we are happy to recommend them they are not contracted by Sanctus.

To see our full list please see Page 14 on this PDF.

Definitions

We know the world of mental health can be a little confusing; acronyms, psycho-whatsamajigs, therapies, diagnoses, labels and much more. It can feel scary too. The last thing you need when you’re exploring your mental health is to feel confused or concerned that you’re going to pick the wrong type of support or relationship, especially when there’s money involved.

We’ve created a list of the following definitions to help you figure out what’s right for you. Please go through each section.

Mental Health Professionals

Psychiatrists
Qualified medical doctors, specialising in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. They can prescribe psychiatric medication. Although many psychiatrists have also received some training in psychotherapy and counselling skills, the way they understand and approach their patients is more focused on ’cause and cure’ rather than building a deeper therapeutic relationship.

Psychologists
Study behaviour and mental processes. A psychologist usually means someone who has a degree in psychology, but legally anyone can call themselves a psychologist. They administer and interpret psychological tests and assessments and help you choose the type of therapy that best addresses the person’s problem and best fits the patient’s characteristics and preferences.

Counsellors & Psychotherapists
Will have training in both the theory and practice of how to work with a variety of people with a wide range of emotional distress and whose lives may be affected by both external factors (job loss, bereavement) and internal issues (low self-esteem, anxiety).

They are closely related and the skills and knowledge needed are very similar. Counsellors are somewhat more likely to do shorter-term work focusing on particular problems such as addiction and bereavement, while psychotherapists often encourage a deeper, longer term and more fundamental process of change in clients who seem to require it.

Coaches
Future based focus to move you from where you are, closer to where you want to be. A coach may visit the past to help create a path into the future. They are not a subject expert, but rather focused on helping someone to unlock their own potential. Generally, coaching is better suited for someone with an overall sense of ‘balance’ in their life to create momentum for change.

Types of Therapies

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
The most common form of therapy on NHS. It aims to help you change the way you think (cognitive) and what you do (behaviour). Rather than looking at past causes, it focuses on current problems and practical solutions to help you feel better now.

Your therapist will help you identify and challenge any negative thinking so you can deal with situations better and behave in a more positive way. CBT can be helpful for depression, anxiety, stress, phobias, obsessions, eating disorders and managing long term conditions.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Uses bilateral stimulation, right/left eye movement, or tactile stimulation, or sound, which repeatedly activates the opposite sides of the brain releasing emotional experiences that are “trapped” in the nervous system. This assists the neurophysiological system, the basis of the mind/body connection, to free itself of blockages and reconnect itself.

EMDR allows a client to process an emotional experience that he/she cannot yet talk about, yet following a EMDR session find an ability to talk about it freely. Most importantly, it can eliminate stress surrounding the traumatic event, with the purpose of allowing new life in the once traumatized and emotionally difficult memory.

Humanistic
This approach focuses on the individual as a whole. It encourages people to think about their feelings and take responsibility for their thoughts and actions. The emphasis is on self-development and achieving your highest potential rather than on problematic behaviour. Gestalt therapy, person-centred therapy, transactional analysis and transpersonal therapy are all types of humanistic approaches.

Gestalt
Derived from the German for ‘whole’ or ‘pattern’. It looks at the individual as a whole, and within their surroundings, rather than breaking things into parts. Practitioners help you to focus on the here and now and your immediate thoughts, feelings and behaviour to better understand how you relate to others and to situations. This can help you find a new, positive perspective
on problems and bring about changes in your life.Gestalt therapy often includes acting out scenarios and dream recall, and is effective in treating issues such as anxiety, stress, addiction, tension and depression.

Integrative
Integrative therapy is a progressive form of psychotherapy that combines different therapeutic tools and approaches to fit the needs of the individual client. With an understanding of normal human development, an integrative therapist modifies standard treatments to fill in development gaps that affect each client in different ways. By combining elements drawn from different schools of psychological theory and research, integrative therapy becomes a more flexible and inclusive approach to treatment than more traditional, singular forms of psychotherapy.

Neuro — Linguistic Programming (NLP)
NLP combines cognitive behavioural and humanistic therapies with hypnotherapy. It works on the theory that life experiences, from birth onwards, programme the way you see the world. Practitioners help you to discover how you have learnt to think or feel so that you can take control of your actions. They will also look at your successes, so you can use these to develop further successful skills and behaviours. NLP is generally used as an additional way of working with other types of therapy rather than on its own, although is increasingly common in coaching.

Person-Centered
Person or client-centred therapy is based on the view that everyone has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change, given the right conditions. Rather than being seen as the expert and directing the therapy, the counsellor offers unconditional positive regard, empathy and congruence (genuineness) to help you come to terms with any negative feelings and to change and develop in your own way.

Psychodynamic
This is based on the work of Sigmund Freud, who believed that psychological problems are rooted in the unconscious mind. Experiences from a person’s past can influence thoughts, emotions and behaviour in later life. The analyst will encourage you to talk about your experiences and use techniques such as free association or dream analysis to identify repressed feelings or conflicts that are affecting you now. Bringing these to the front of your mind allows any negative feelings to be dealt with.

Transactional analysis
A comprehensive approach which incorporates aspects of humanistic, cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic therapy. It categorises the human personality into three states — Parent, Adult and Child — which can help you understand how you interact with others.

Therapists also look at how your beliefs and the way you interpret the world around you can create recurrent and problematic patterns of behaviour, and will work with you to help you to change.

Transpersonal
Describes any form of counselling or therapy which places an emphasis on spirituality, human potential or heightened consciousness. There is a focus on free will, self-determination, and the search for meaning — often centering on you rather than on the symptom. The approach emphasizes your capacity to make rational choices and to develop to your maximum potential.

Types of Coaching

Like the field of therapy, there are a variety of techniques and styles. Some representative styles are the following:

Sanctus
Sanctus coaches bring in a variety of skills from therapy and coaching with a shared sense of values. There is a holistic focus on the whole person, their environment and circumstances to support and challenge them to be more themselves. Sessions are focused on understanding what a client needs, which may be moving forward towards a goal or an open ended exploration of life right now.

Life
Works with an individual, typically over three months, to empower them to make, meet and exceed both personal and professional goals. The focus is largely on the future and understanding what steps are need to overcome obstacles leading to fulfilment. Life coaches hold clients accountable to their actions and are trained to what type of motivation works best for you.

Executive
A one to one relationship with someone in an organisation who has a strong position of influence, usually a CEO or other senior level staff. The coaching is contracted for the benefit of a client who is accountable for highly complex decisions with wide scope of impact on the organisation and industry as a whole. The coaching is usually focused on organisational performance or development, but it may also serve a personal component as well.

Business
Similar to an executive coach, a business coach focuses on the process used to take a business from where it is now to where the business owner wants it to be. A business coach will assist and guide the business owner in growing their business by helping them clarify the vision of their business and how it fits in with their personal goals.

Existential
Aims to bring the persons into contact with what matters in life and helps to encounter themselves and others better. This includes looking at what has value, appears to be right and has meaning to them. This approach is useful for when someone may be experiencing some type of ‘life crisis’ and explores central themes including existence, fulfilment, consent, freedom, responsibility and meaning.

THAT’S IT — this will be a living, growing directory so please drop us a line if you have anything you’d like us to add.